Game-changing Marketing and PR
for Game-changing Companies

Agency Services + Consultancy Thinking.

Scratch M+M is a growth advisor and nimble execution partner for game-changing technology and innovation companies. We are based in Boston and we work with clients across the country and around the world. Bringing the latest methodologies, insights, ideas, and campaigns to our clients, we chart impactful, integrated growth plans based on the unique needs of our partners – and help them soar. Once we take off, we continue to execute those PR, Marketing and Sales communications programs in an integrated manner.

Stratus Technologies

The Challenge

Stratus Technologies is a leading provider of availability solutions, keeping multiple industries up and running. In 2016 they needed a partner to help them grow channel pipeline and overall awareness of their industrial automation solutions.

The Solution + Results

Scratch worked with Stratus to develop a unique campaign, Modernize Automation, from concept and target buyer research through engagement strategy and execution. The campaign offered a series of insightful, visually sophisticated content assets for target buyer engagement and channel partners globally. With a fresh design concept filtered across several eBooks, industry whitepapers, infographics, a series of blogposts, online calculators, landing pages, social media campaign graphics, posters, mailers and even a partner playbook to educate partners on how to take advantage of the campaign, the effort is – as noted by the executive team – “one of the most successful and well-designed campaigns in recent years.”

Tego, Inc.

Revealing the future potential and value of ground-breaking smart-asset technology.

The Challenge

Tego came to Scratch with a unique challenge. Its solution was well-established in specific industries; the company had literally written the Air Transport Association’s standard for automated identification and data capture on flyable parts. But Tego needed to diversify. The technology had a strong role to play in new vertical markets, but the message was not sticking.

The Solution + Results

Scratch re-branded Tego as a Smart Asset company: Designing a new website from the ground up, re-vamping the messaging platform and delivering a go-to-market strategy to capitalize on a more diversifed set of commercial opportunities.

Results:

The effort jumped visibility among targeted audience of 5.75 Million online readers. Won several high-leverage speaking engagements and built Analyst Relations program from the ground up, gaining mindshare with influencers at Gartner, Forrester, ARC Advisory Group and IDC. In addition, Scratch also initiated social engagement program on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Kitewheel, Inc.

Generating visibility and inbound leads for a growing brand in a hot, new market with integrated PR and design.

The Challenge

Kitewheel’s customer journey platform not only unifies but adds a hyper-intelligent logic layer to all marketing and business systems, enabling brands to deliver real-time customer journeys at scale. In this new and growing market, Kitewheel needed a partner to help them esablish a strong foothold among media, brand, agencies and analysts – increasing inbound leads and securing a position as the leading provider of customer journey technology.

The Solution + Results

Alongside an ongoing effort to elevate the Kitewheel website and design system, Scratch supported the launch and development of original surveys, reports and a thought leadership campaign, securing coverage in 58+ major publications including MarketingLand, MarTech, Mediapost, eMarketer, Ad Age and more.

VMware + Dell EMC

The Challenge

In the white-hot market for hyper-converged infrastructure solutions, VMware and Dell EMC sought to establish awareness of and demand for VxRail as a leading solution for a complete VMware-based software-defined data center infrastructure.

Pwnie Express

The Challenge

Pwnie Express sought to develop a clear position in a crowded sector and drive brand awareness through compelling, original research and industry analysis. In addition, Pwnie wanted to continue to strengthen their foothold as a go-to resource for security professionals facing an increasing number of complex challenges.

The Solution + Results

Through original research materials, Scratch helped Pwnie drive awarness and sales in a crowded sector. The Internet of Evil Things report (IoET) highlighted the fact that security professionals are not prepared to detect and monitor less common RF and off-network IoT devices, and included original data and analysis to further illuminate the issue.

This effort not only expanded as a larger thought leadership platform to support the brand, but resulted in coverage from top publications such as CSO, Cyber parse, CRN, Bloomberg Radio, Baseline and Bandt.

AirWatch

Communicating the value proposition of partnering with VMware on mobility solutions to mobile carriers.

The Challenge

The VMware AirWatch group was looking for streamlined messaging that could capture the value of a suite of offerings managed by a number of different VMware business groups and communicate it to its key accounts in the telecom industry.

The Solution + Results

Scratch created a suite of assets, including two white papers, a sales presentation and an infographic, to communicate to mobile carriers the value of partnering with VMware to resell VMware’s mobility solutions.

VMware SISO Campaigns

The Challenge

VMware sought to increase instances of Certification and Accreditation on key solution areas supported by SISO partners – Cloud, Networking and Mobility. However learning modules were often time-intensive and expensive.

The Solution + Results

Scratch worked across four different SISO partnerships to develop unique education contests, landing pages and promotional assets. With rewards like iPads and Apple Watches and top-dog status/ recognition, learners logged over 1,300 additional Certifications, Accreditations and Hands-on Labs instances in 2016, a tremendous increase from the previous year.

Shyft Analytics

The Challenge

Shyft was looking to reposition from a consulting company to a tech innovator in the life science space through a new brand, positioning, messaging, website redesign, sales enablement and PR to reveal its innovation to the market.

The Solution + Results

Scratch supported Shyft by partnering on the development of positioning, messaging, designing and developing a series of impactful sales materials alongside an integrated PR and content program.

Masabi

The Challenge

Masabi’s mobile ticketing platform is a game changer for public transit agencies, and the company needed to drive awareness that validated the benefits to key stakeholders in major metro areas.

The Solution + Results

Scratch successfully secured coverage for Masabi surrounding their mobile ticketing app launches in Boston, New York, and Las Vegas to 39+ major publications including Boston Business Journal, Engadget, SmartRail World, The Verge, and more. Scratch also built a thought leadership program for CEO Brian Zanghi surrounding smart cities and the future of transportation resulting in a 40% increase in Twitter followers, 460% increase in profile visits and 92k total Twitter impressions.

OUR MISSION:

Your Switched-on Marketing Co-pilots

Scratch M+M’s mission is to accelerate meaningful change – by enabling game-changing technology and innovations to be recognized and adopted quickly. We partner with clients on all execution fronts to get results fast – to grow your domain expert visibility through integrated thought leadership, content, and media and analyst relations; and increase sales through decisive market conditioning.

Content Creation

Our Captains

Lora Kratchounova

Principal

Expertise + Background

Lora has never questioned that marketing is her top passion. From her days as a marketing director for Shell Oil in 1994 to increasingly more digital and strategic roles across Modem Media (now Digitas), Vacation Coach (now TripAdvisor), American Express, and a series of startups, Lora now leads the consulting and marketing practice at Scratch M+M.

In addition, Lora continues to mentor, teach and support across numerous Boston-area organizations including the MIT Forum, The Startup Institute and Brandeis University.

Peter Atanasoff

VP

Expertise + Background

You could say Peter’s an optimist. A believer in the art of the possible and the promise of technologies and innovation, Peter gets excited by the opportunity to get to stretch goals. Driven by solid data analysis and structured approaches, Peter generally tries to get to the bottom of it.
Having worked in senior management roles within technology and professional services companies for over 20 years, Peter brings to our clients a consulting mindset and a breadth of understanding of marketing and business problems as well as the respective solutions. Peter is an active contributor to the technology start-up community in the Boston area through various forums and organizations.
This year Peter’s New Year’s resolution was (again) to make the most of it.

Likes: Music, cowboy hats, anything made of paper, architectureDislikes: When people don’t fill in their time sheets

Matt Grant

VP Content

Expertise + Background

Matt has long been obsessed with the power of language to persuade, entertain, illuminate and inspire. This obsession led him to get a PhD in German studies (where he focused on the intersection of politics, philosophy and writing) and teach for several years. When he left the academy for the corporate world, he ran training for a global staffing firm before eventually moving into corporate communications and marketing. Over the last 10 years Matt has launched and written blogs, overseen editorial for a global market research firm, improved the writing of countless executives, and hosted several podcasts (including “Marketing Smarts” at MarketingProfs). He brings to Scratch an endless curiosity about technology, a quick wit, and a well-honed knack for wordsmithery.

Anya Nelson

VP Public Relations

Expertise + Background

Anya is resourceful, tough and unafraid of tackling new challenges. After spending almost a decade as a managing partner at a boutique tech PR firm in Boston, Anya landed at Scratch to lead and grow the agency's PR team while overseeing the strategy and execution of powerful PR campaigns. Her approach: be a helpful resource who understands and respects reporters' needs. She gets tremendous satisfaction seeing a well-thought-out and thoroughly researched pitch idea transform into a game-changing media placement. The only thing that makes her happier is watching people on her team blossom into PR superstars. That, and champagne.
She holds a BA in International Relations from Moscow State Institute of International Relations and an MS in Public Relations from Boston University.

Maria Bruk

Senior Account Director

Expertise + Background

Maria is always looking for the humor in everything and truly believes nothing is worth doing if you can’t have a good laugh while doing it. She started in publishing as a book editor, in Boston, Toronto, New York, Chicago, and New York again, then transitioned into B2B marketing, driving messages forward for a range of brands. With experience both in-house and at agencies, she ultimately decided that agency life is for her. As a Senior Account Director at Scratch, she brings unwavering energy, enthusiasm, curiosity, and her strong background in storytelling to all her client work through digital marketing, social media, content and events.

Likes: Books, music, editing, words, language, wine, travel, the beach in any weatherDislikes: Bad spelling and grammar and people without a funny bone

John Saxe

Senior Account Director

Expertise + Background

John's background fits in well with Scratch's principles of Marketing the Future: just as products today are never finished and must always be innovating, John has a knack for constant reinvention and rejuvenation. He brings a wealth of experience in editorial management to Scratch, which he applies to the complex task of partnering with subject matter experts to tease out technical content and create compelling stories for different audiences seeking an understanding of the topic at hand.

Likes: Sailing; singing; subject-verb agreement and parallelismDislikes: Dirty microwaves; people who know less than they think they know

Susan Oblak

Marketing and Strategy

Expertise + Background

Susan loves the energy and drive of small companies looking to make their mark. A marketing executive with extensive experience working in start-ups, Susan enjoys helping companies find their voice in the market. A marketing strategist with a project management background, Susan leads cross-functional teams at Scratch to drive exceptional outcomes for clients.

Charlie Wong

Account Director

Expertise + Background

Charlie came to agency life as a skeptic, having worked in in-house marketing groups for years. He was delighted to discover that working at Scratch is all about thoughtful, bespoke, customer-centric solutions, and strives each day to bring skillful execution and new ideas to each of his accounts.
With a BS in computer science, an MBA, and two decades of marketing experience with B2B technology solutions, Charlie likes to accumulate data, craft narratives, and tell stories that capture the hearts and minds of customers.

Natalie Ferro

Design Director

Expertise + Background

Natalie is a creative storyteller and a strategic-thinker. Leading the design team at Scratch, her experience ranges from multi-channel campaigns, building brand systems, cohesive experiences, concept development, event design, video, and data viz. Natalie uses this experience to deeply understand every new project, creatively problem-solve, and delight clients.

Likes: Being involved in the design community, great copy, red wine, caffeineDislikes: Lack of caffeine

Laura Wills

Creative Director

Expertise + Background

Laura is a multi-award-winning designer and creative director – her work has been recognized in top awards shows and publications around the world over the last 20 years. Originally trained as a branding and packaging designer, Laura was an early figure in the world of interactive design and branding and for several years specialized in dot-com era start-ups. Her work has evolved over the years into a well-versed branding practise with a love for design and ideas of all kinds.
First and foremost a Design Thinker, Laura is dedicated to question-asking, strategic investigation, and clear, compelling storytelling. At Scratch she is the conduit between the consulting team and the creative team, helping our clients articulate and crystallize their vision, and leading the creative team into bringing each client's purpose to life – with skilled and compelling visual systems that answer real business needs across multiple touchpoints.

Likes: Simple pleasures and next-level everything else.Dislikes: Using jargon instead of talking like a human, and hates when lunch is disappointing.